Mystical Nepal - cultural tour

Itinerary

• 01Namaste, welcome to Nepal Your arrival at Kathmandu airport where you will be met by an AIT representative and transfer to your hotel. In the late afternoon, your driver will take you to our office for a briefing.
  
  Meals: ****
  
• 02Sightseeing of Kathmandu & food safari Culture and food are on the program today! Cuisine is culture; it is part of the customs, history and traditions of a people. You will alternate between visits to monuments, local markets and sampling the favorite snacks of local people.
  
  Today, a guide who will introduce you not only to the history of the monuments but also the city’s past will accompany you.
  
  Visit Pashupatinath Temple, the most important Hindu temple in Nepal consecrated to Lord Shiva. The original core dates back to the 6th century AD and is known for its architecture in the shape of a pagoda. This place, also known as Little Benares, is located along the Bagmati River; here every day funeral ceremonies take place with the corpses being burned on pyres before the scattering of the ashes on the Bagmati River.
  Afterwards visit the huge Boudhanath Stupa, the most important Buddhist cultural center in Kathmandu since numerous refugees from Tibet have stopped there, creating more than 50 Gompas (Tibetan monasteries). Since 1979, Boudhanath has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  
  In the afternoon, visit another important Buddhist center, the stupa of Swayambhunath, known as the monkey temple because of the high number of monkeys living inside. This ancient religious complex is located atop a hill to the west in the Kathmandu Valley, and from here there are beautiful views of the city and the valley that surrounds it.
  
  Meals: Breakfast
  
• 03Drive to Pokhara Depart by car for Pokhara (around 6 hours) crossing the valley traversed by the Trisuli River. The valley of Pokhara is one of the most picturesque places in Nepal, and its beauty is enhanced by the enchanting lakes that originate from Annapurna.
  
  Visit Devi’s fall, a waterfall about 150 meters long, but part flows in an underground tunnel. After forming the waterfall and passing through the tunnel, the water flows into an adjacent cave, the Gupteshwor Mahadev . The cave is accessed by walking down an impressive flight of steps that is decorated with statues of Hindu gods, particularly Lord Ganesh who is the God who brings good luck. You will meet many Hindu worshippers who visit the cave, as it houses a shrine with a rock shaped by water and time that represents Lord Shiva.
  
  At sunset, go for a walk on the shores of Lake Phewa, the lakeside atmosphere is able to inspire inner peace and serenity. The reflections and colors of the many wooden boats moored along Its shores produce a distinctive ambience.You can take a boat and visit the Vahar Mandir temple, which is located on an island in the middle of the lake. This temple is the most revered in the city.
  
  Meals: Breakfast
  
• 04Drive to Hemja & trekking to Astam village Drive to Hemja, about 40 minutes, for the beginning of our walk to Astam. The hike takes about 3 hours. Astam is located on a small ridge at 1600 meters above sea level, offering a 360 degree view of the Annapurna and Manaslu mountain range and the Pokhara valley. After lunch, you have the opportunity to visit farms and participate in any activities that may take place.
  
  Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
  
• 05 Sunrise over the mountains and Pokhara Depart at dawn for Sarangkot to see the sunrise over the Himalayas.
  
  Pokhara’s proximity to the Tibetan Plateau has made the city a place of refuge for numerous Tibetans who have come from the neighboring province. A district, located not far from the center, was built to accommodate them under the best conditions. Most of these people make a living from handicrafts such as weaving sheep wool carpet or carving religious objects. Another point of interest will be to visit one of the monasteries dedicated to Buddhist monks.
  
  Visit the Mountain Museum, which tells the history of the climbing of the main Himalayan peaks, from Everest to K2.
  
  At sunset, visit the Shanti Pagoda ( Stupa of Peace).The white stupa, of considerable size, was built by Buddhist monks. The temple is situated on the top of the hill that offers spectacular views of the Annapurna range, the city of Pokhara and Lake Phewa. Return to Pokhara and the rest of the day will be free.
  
  Meals: Breakfast
  
• 06Meet the Tharu Community Depart for Chitwan, in southern Nepal, close to India (6 hours). Visit the village of the Tharu people. The Tharu are an indigenous people of the Terai. They have a distinct architectural style and they make only buildings from the natural materials found in the region: thatch, wood and mud. Although to this day most Tharu people are Hindus, some vestiges of their tribal religion are still present.
  
  Enjoy the Tharu Stick Dance, a melodious tribal dance performed by men and women to the rhythm of Drums and sticks to keep rhinos and wild animals away from their farms.
  
  Meals: Breakfast - lunch & dinner
  
• 07Canoe & Safari We leave for a canoe ride. This is the best way to discover crocodiles on the edge of the river. It is also a relaxing way to observe the different species of birds, as well as the wildlife that come to the river banks to drink water. More than 450 species of exotic birds are present and make Chitwan an uncountable place for bird watching in Asia. Our experienced guides will take you to the best points in the park.
  
  Off the canoe we will venture, by jeep, into the tropical forest for a unique view of the Chitwan jungle that is home to at least 43 species of mammals and 45 species of amphibians and reptiles. Elephants and Indian rhinos are the largest species found in the park, but there are also other herbivores, gaur, sambar, the chital deer, porcupine deer, Sumatran sirau, quadricorn antelope and wild boar. These animals are hunted by three large predators, leopards, wild dogs, and tigers and by carrion eaters such as striped hyenas.
  
  We ask you to absolutely avoid elephant back rides, which represent real mistreatment of these extraordinary animals.
  
  Late afternoon, rather than visiting the Elephant Breeding Center, a center owned by the state where elephants, kept on the chain, are bred and trained to work, we will take you to the NGO Stand Up for Elephants. SU4E aims to improve the lives of captive elephants in Nepal and help their mahouts within the community in which they work.
  
  Meals: Breakfast - lunch & dinner
  
• 08Flight to Kathmandu* - Namobuddha Flight to Kathmandu and drive to Namobuddha Monastery, known as Tg-mo Lu-jin which is a very important Buddhist pilgrimage site because it is linked to a legend about one of the lives of Buddha. The legend says that he offered his body to a hungry tigress so that she could feed her cubs. A magical place located on a hill. You will be able to attend the prayer and interact with the monks.
  
  * We try to keep domestic flights to a minimum; unfortunately travel times are very long in Nepal.
  Unfortunately, travel times are very long in Nepal. To offset the carbon footprint of your flights, we are committed to funding the planting of trees.Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
• 09Bhaktapur - Kathmandu On the way back to Kathmandu, you will stop at Bhaktapur,an ancient Newari city located east of the Kathmandu Valley. It was founded in the 12th century by the Malla dynasty and, from the 16th century, it became an important transit center for caravans on the route between India and Tibet. Today, the site has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Magnificent is the Durbar Square where the 55- window palace is located. The whole historical part is in the Newari style and is dotted with several pagoda temples. For film lovers, Bakhtapur was one of the
  main locations for the film Bernardo Bertolucci’s film “Little Buddha” with Keanu Reeves. You will find the streets and temples seen in the film.
  
  Meals: Breakfast.
• 10Goodbye Transfer to the airport and end of our services.
  
  Meals: Breakfast